The invention is a method and device for measuring the inclination of a roadway using highly precise digital inclinometer and a frame for holding and suspending the digital inclinometer over the width of a lane of traffic. The device and method require a single, and only a single, human operator. The device is lightweight and highly portable.
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1. A device for measuring the inclination of a roadway comprising: a latitudinal support arm being constructed from hollow magnesium tubing and being machined to a length long enough to span a lane of vehicular traffic, a single, and only a single, pair of legs removably attached to said latitudinal support arm, a digital inclinometer having an error of less than two arcminutes plus one digit, an inclinometer bracket removably attached to said latitudinal support arm and to said digital inclinometer for securing said inclinometer to said latitudinal support arm, a handle removably attached to said latitudinal support arm, and a transportation bar removably attached to said latitudinal support arm.
14. A device for measuring the inclination of a roadway comprising:
a latitudinal support arm being constructed from a single piece of hollow magnesium tubing, being machined to a length long enough to span a ten foot lane of vehicular traffic, having a single left hole machined perpendicular to the ground at a left end of said latitudinal support arm, and having a single right hole machined perpendicular to the ground at a right end of said latitudinal support arm,
a left leg comprising a platform portion for supporting the device on a roadway surface, a vertical riser portion for raising the device off of the roadway, and an outwardly threaded portion disposed at one end and an inwardly threaded nut, said outwardly threaded portion passing through the single left hole of the latitudinal support arm and being secured by said inwardly threaded nut,
a right leg comprising a platform portion for supporting the device on a roadway surface, a vertical riser portion for raising the device off of the roadway, and an outwardly threaded portion disposed at one end and an inwardly threaded nut, said outwardly threaded portion passing through the single right hole of the latitudinal support arm and being secured by said inwardly threaded nut,
a digital inclinometer having an error of less than two arcminutes plus one digit,
an inclinometer bracket removably attached to said latitudinal support arm via screw means and to said digital inclinometer for securing said inclinometer to said latitudinal support arm,
a handle removably attached to said latitudinal support arm, and
a symmetrical transportation bar removably attached to said latitudinal support arm via screw means, said symmetrical transportation bar extending a distance below the lower surface of the latitudinal support arm so as to be just off of the surface of the roadway and said symmetrical transportation bar also extending a distance outward in a direction perpendicular to said latitudinal support arm.
15. A method of measuring the inclination of a roadway comprising the steps of:
a. providing a roadway to be measured;
b. providing a device for measuring the inclination of the roadway, said device weighing less than fifty pounds, being capable of measuring the inclination of a roadway to a degree of precision of less than two arcminutes plus one digit, and comprising a left support arm, a center support arm, and a right support arm, each of said support arms being constructed from hollow magnesium, a pair of legs, a digital inclinometer having an error of less than two arcminutes plus one digit, an inclinometer bracket, a handle, a transportation bar, and an alignment tool;
c. determining a width of the roadway to be measured, proceeding to step g if the measured width is less than eight feet;
d. attaching the left support arm and the right support arm to the center support;
e. attaching one leg of the pair of legs to the left support arm and attaching the other leg of the pair of legs to the right support arm;
f. attaching the alignment tool, skipping step g;
g. attaching the pair of legs to the center support arm;
h. attaching the handle and the transportation bar to the center support arm;
i. attaching the digital inclinometer and inclinometer bracket to the center support arm;
j. providing a handtruck equipment mover;
k. placing the handtruck under the transportation bar;
l. providing a single human operator;
m. maneuvering the handtruck with the assembled device for measuring the inclination of the roadway by the single human operator to the first desired section of roadway for a first inclination measurement;
n. aligning the alignment tool, if previously attached in step f, to be parallel with the side of the roadway to be measured;
o. turning on the digital inclinometer by the single human operator;
p. measuring the incline of the respective lane of the roadway;
q. recording the incline of the respective lane of the roadway;
r. repositioning the device to the next desired section of roadway for another inclination measurement;
s. repeating steps m through r until all sections of the roadway have been measured;
t. dissembling the device for measuring the inclination of the roadway.
2. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
3. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
4. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
5. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
6. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
7. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
8. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
9. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
10. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
11. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
12. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
13. The device for measuring the inclination of a roadway of
16. The method of measuring the inclination of a roadway of
i. measuring the temperature of the roadway, attaching the digital inclinometer and inclinometer bracket to either the left support arm or to the right support arm if both the temperature is too hot to walk on and the left support arm and the right support arm were attached previously in step d.
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This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 61/393,031 filed on Oct. 14, 2010.
Not applicable
Not applicable.
The present invention relates to the field of roadway construction. More specifically, it relates to a device and a method for measuring the inclination of the road, relative to the perpendicular side of the road, using a precise measuring tool and a precision frame for holding the tool.
Typically, a roadway course will have a slope or a crown extending downwards from the center of the road towards the sides of the road. In the field of roadway construction, the slope of a roadway course perpendicular to the side of the road is of great importance as it allows water, debris, and other hindrances to roadway traffic to exit the road. Too much slope, however, can also pose a roadway hazard. Such hazards are amplified when the subject roadway receives heavy and/or fast traffic such as a United States Interstate Highway. As a result, Engineers have determined very precise slope mandates which determine best practice in roadway design and installation. Both construction codes and paving contracts include these roadway inclination design mandates and it is incumbent upon contractors to insure that their roads meet the precise specified slopes. Likewise, it is incumbent upon roadway owners, such as states and local governments, to insure that they are receiving the precision engineered, sloped roadways for which they are paying.
Typically, slope has been measured and checked using traditional surveying methods. These methods include using several humans to hold and position levels and poles and then to calculate the slope based on observed readings. These methods are labor intensive and take time to perform calculations respective of the slope. Other methods include using imprecise inclinometers mounted on the rear of a roadway paving or screeding machines to capture a reading as the road is constructed.
The present invention provides a method and device for measuring the slope of the roadway with a high degree of precision. The device and method also reduces requisite labor to a single human and eliminates the need for complex calculations. The device is thus an apparatus which may easily be operated and maneuvered by a single person whereby the reading of the slope to a high degree of precision is easily accomplished.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that may be easily transported from jobsite to jobsite. It is still a further object of the present invention to optionally, and alternatively, provide a device that will measure a full lane of traffic but also measure a smaller portion of a lane.
To this end, the present invention contemplates a digital inclinometer that precisely measures slope across a roadway with an error of less than 2.0 arcminutes. This digital inclinometer is fixed in a lightweight, rigid frame designed to span at least the width of a lane of traffic. The frame can be easily moved by a single person and can be disassembled and transported. It may also be, optionally and alternatively, shortened as necessary to span smaller distances.
It is to be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present invention. The following example is provided to further illustrate the invention and is not to be construed to unduly limit the scope of the invention.
The present invention is a method and device for measuring the inclination of a roadway. Specifically, the invention is a device and method of using the device for measuring the inclination of a roadway that is perpendicular to the side of the road (181). The device encompasses a digital inclinometer (100) having an error of less than two arcminutes plus one digit and a frame for holding the inclinometer that is machined from magnesium and aluminum. The components of the frame are precisely machined to several thousandths of an inch.
The device comprises a latitudinal support arm (110), a pair of legs (130), a digital inclinometer (100) having an error of less than two arcminutes plus one digit, an inclinometer bracket (150) for holding the inclinometer, a handle (140), and a hand-truck attachment plate which is also referred to as a transportation bar (160). The entire device weighs less than fifty pounds.
The latitudinal support arm (110) is designed to span one lane of traffic. It is made of rectangular, hollow magnesium tubing that has been precisely machined to have level surfaces varying less than several thousandths of an inch from end to end. The use of hollow magnesium tubing is not a mere design choice; rather, it critically solves the problem of being able to machine the device to precise tolerances and, and at the same time, being able to maintain a light weight so that a single person can easily maneuver the device. The latitudinal support arm further comprises a center support arm (111) and both a left (112) and right (113) support arm. When both the left (112) and right (113) support arms are attached, the device spans a full lane of traffic. When only the center support arm (111) is used the device spans about four feet of a lane of traffic. In alternate embodiments, the latitudinal support arm is a single piece and does not separate into center, left, and right portions.
Each of the left (112) and right (113) support arms are respectively attached to the center support arm (111) via a plate and a plurality of nuts and bolts (116). That is, there is disclosed both a left (114) and a right (115) attachment plate. The left (112) and right (113) support arms each have a hole (respectively 118 and 119), machined perpendicular to the ground, disposed at one end for attachment of one of the pair of legs (130). At the end of the respective left (112) and right (113) support arms, on the end opposite the hole for the attachment of the legs, are a plurality of holes (117), machined parallel to the ground, through which the plurality of bolts (116) pass when the left (114) and right (115) attachment plates are utilized to attach the left (112) and right (113) support arms to the center support arm (111). The center support arm (111) also has a pair of holes (respectively 120 and 121), machined perpendicular to the ground, wherein one hole is disposed at each end for attachment of the pair of legs. The legs (130) are attached to the center support arm (111) only when the left and right support arms are not being utilized such as when only a small section of road needs to be tested as shown in
The pair of legs (130) comprises a flat platform (131) for supporting the device, a vertical riser portion (132), for raising the device off of the roadway, and an outwardly threaded portion (133) which passes through the respective perpendicular holes disposed on the latitudinal support arms (118 and 119). An inwardly threaded nut (134) is also contemplated for securing the legs (130) to the latitudinal support arms (110).
The handle (140) removably attaches to the top side of the center support arm (111) of the latitudinal support arm (110). The handle further comprises a pair of attachment brackets (141), which are fixedly mounted on the center support arm (111), a pair of parallel elevation members (142), and a perpendicular member (143). The perpendicular member (143) is fixedly attached to the pair of parallel members (142) and it runs parallel to the center support arm (111). The pair of parallel members (142) removably attaches to the attachment brackets (141) via a set screw (144) configuration.
The inclinometer bracket (150) effectively attaches the digital inclinometer (100) to the center support arm (111) of the longitudinal support arm (110). However, alternate embodiments including allowing the digital inclinometer (100) and inclinometer bracket (150) to be mounted to either the left (112) or right (113) support arms for use when the underlying asphalt surface is too hot or soft to stand on and take an accurate measurement. The inclinometer bracket cradles the digital inclinometer and assures that the bottom surface of the digital inclinometer (100) is in complete and continuous contact with the top surface of the center support arm (111) of the longitudinal support arm (110). In the preferred embodiment, the inclinometer bracket (150) further comprises a pair of braces (151) which attach to the sides of the center support arm (111) of the longitudinal support arm (110) via screw means (152). These braces (151) also contact the sides of the digital inclinometer (110). The inclinometer bracket (150) further comprises a traverse plate member (153) that is attached to the pair of braces (151) via a threaded screw and nut configuration (154) such that the nuts can be tightened to secure the digital inclinometer (100) in place.
The digital inclinometer (100) is an inclinometer that can be purchased by the public. An example is the Wyler Clinotronic 45 Plus brand inclinometer. Wyler AG 2010 Catalog, [online], pages 56-59, [retrieved on 2011-03-29]. Retrieved from <URL: http://www.wylerag.com/pdf_katalog—2010/CLINO_PLUS_p56-59.pdf.
The digital inclinometer (100) must be accurate and highly precise. The digital inclinometer has a measuring range of ±45 degrees and has a setting time of approximately 2 seconds. The digital inclinometer (100) has an error of less than 2 arcmin+1 digit. It is powered by battery and has an operating temperature range of 0° to 40° C. The digital inclinometer (100) may also be connected directly to a computer.
Also attached to the center support arm (111) of the latitudinal support arm (110) is the transportation bar (160). The transportation bar (160) is removably attached to the center support arm (111) via screw means (161). The transportation bar (160) cradles the center support arm (111) and then extends a distance both below the lower surface of the center support arm (111) and a distance outward in a direction perpendicular to the center support arm (111). The transportation bar (160) allows the device to be moved from location to location for additional measurements of incline by a simple hand truck (180) operated by a single human operator (182). The transportation bar (160) is symmetrical so that the hand truck may be applied to either side of the device. The typical hand truck (180) is well known in the art and has two wheels, a flat lower portion for moving articles and a perpendicular leaver arm that pivots about the wheels to move an article. In the present case, the flat lower portion of the hand truck is inserted so as to extend below the lowest surface of the transportation bar which is should be just above the roadways surface. Thus, the width below the center support arm (111) that the transportation bar (160) extends will be slightly less than that of the pair of parallel legs (130).
Removably and optionally attached at each end of left and right support arms is a perpendicular alignment tool (170). The alignment tool (170) passes through a hole disposed on the respective end of either the right or the left support arm. This hole is opposite in direction from the hole through which the pair of legs pass. The alignment tool (170) is preferably constructed from plastic pipe with an endcap on one end. When the alignment tool is inserted, the endcap of the alignment tool (170) should touch the surface of the respective left (112) or right (113) support arm thus making the alignment tool (170) exactly perpendicular to the respective right (113) or left (112) support arm.
While the foregoing has been a description of one embodiment of the device, the following will be a description of one embodiment of the method of using the device to measure a roadway.
First, providing a roadway (183). Second, providing a device for measuring the inclination of a roadway as described above. Next, the width of the roadway to be measured is determined. If the width of roadway is a full lane, then the left (112) and right (113) support arms are attached to the center support arm (
In the event that that the heat being transferred from newly laid asphalt or other paving material may be too hot or too soft to walk on, an additional step is herein contemplated. Before the digital inclinometer and inclinometer bracket are attached to the center support arm, a temperature reading is first obtained. If the temperature reading does indeed show the surface is too hot to walk on, the digital inclinometer and the inclinometer bracket are then attached to either the left support arm or to the right support arm so that a reading might be obtained further from the center of the high temperatures. The attachment to the either the left or to the right support arm is identical to the process used to attach the inclinometer and inclinometer bracket to the center support arm.
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